Published 10/25/2025 09:51 | Edited 10/25/2025 15:48
During a ceremony in Putrajaya, this Saturday (25), President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) once again criticized the continuation of the war in Gaza and the lack of action by the international community to guarantee the creation of a Palestinian State. In an emotional speech, upon receiving the title of Doctor A cause of honor in Philosophy and International Development and the Global South from the National University of Malaysia, Lula stated that “university communities around the world have raised their voices against the brutality of the genocide in Gaza and against the moral inertia that prevents the creation of the Palestinian State to this day.”
According to the president, “it is almost always young people who remind us that peace is the most precious value of humanity”. He highlighted the role of universities and youth in defending science, equality and solidarity among people.
Defense of multilateralism and criticism of colonialism
Lula’s speech also reinforced the defense of a multipolar world and a new global governance. “Nations that have not bowed to colonialism and the Cold War dichotomy will not be intimidated by irresponsible threats,” he stated, in an indirect criticism of US President Donald Trump, who recently increased tariffs on Brazilian products by 50%.
The president reiterated that tariffs cannot be used as “mechanisms of international coercion” and cited Brics as a “fundamental actor in the fight for a multipolar, less asymmetric and more peaceful world”.
He also called for reform of the UN Security Council, classifying it as “inoperative and incapable of responding to the challenges of our time” without greater representation from the Global South.
“The developed world finances itself at the expense of emerging economies”
In the economic field, Lula criticized the power imbalance in multilateral organizations and the effects of protectionism on developing nations. “It is unacceptable that rich countries have nine times more voting power in the IMF than the Global South,” he said.
The president defended a new international financial architecture that directs resources towards the sustainable development of emerging nations. “It is time to interrupt the mechanisms that have supported, for centuries, financing the developed world at the expense of developing economies,” he said.
Lula also attacked the neoliberal model which, according to him, “has deepened inequalities” and favors the concentration of wealth: “Three thousand billionaires have earned 6.5 trillion dollars since 2015. This figure exceeds the annual nominal GDP of Asean and Brazil combined.”
Agenda and political context
Lula’s speech took place on the eve of the 47th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), in Kuala Lumpur, where there is an expectation of a meeting with Donald Trump to discuss the issue of tariffs imposed on Brazilian products.
The Brazilian president remains in Malaysia until Tuesday (28), with commitments aimed at expanding economic and academic relations between Brazil, Malaysia and the countries of Southeast Asia.
Education and solidarity as instruments of transformation
Closing the speech, Lula dedicated the honor “to the Brazilian people” and stated that education is “an instrument of emancipation and equality”. He highlighted that both Brazil and Malaysia, countries in the Global South, share “the desire for justice and overcoming inequalities” and highlighted the role of universities in building a sustainable future.
“I receive this title not as a point of arrival, but as a stimulus to continue fighting for a more just, sustainable and supportive world”, he declared.
On Asian soil, Lula reinforces his position as a critical voice of global inequality and defender of the Palestinian cause — a flag that, according to him, symbolizes the urgency of a new ethical and political pact between nations.
Source: vermelho.org.br
